Troublemakers On A Tightrope
by CLMScagliotti
Summary: Everybody knew that breaking the laws of science and chewing on people's nerves came with their last name. This family invented a whole new kind of trouble. Jo wasn't thrilled about it, but if you asked her, they should've seen this mess coming from miles away. [Established Jo/Zane (Handcuffs & Rocky Road); a different background story for the whole Donovan family.]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: KNOCK KNOCK.**

 **I took my time thinking this idea through, but because of... let's just call it technological issues, I recently lost a lot of documents. Including various not entirely finished chapters for my stories, so while I'm trying to mentally gather those again, I decided to type up what I got in my mind and on the paper. Which mainly consists of new-ish stories...**

 **This one's an actual crossover. I'm writing one for Warehouse 13/Stitchers and this one right now. I don't wanna give away half of the story before the first chapter, but it's a bit of an AU. It pretty much still follows the canon of both shows though, at least up to where this story starts. I guess that it connects to Eureka at the very end, and Warehouse 13 somewhere in the last season, since Eureka was cancelled before Warehouse 13 and I'm using Claire's story line from Season 5.**

 **Like another story of mine, this story plays in different years. So I'll add dates for a clearer picture whenever I switch.**

 **I might change the title of this story soon. Just couldn't come up with anything better yet.**

 **Disclaimer: No, I don't own Warehouse 13 or Eureka. Only a mess of a mind.**

 **KTF CLM**

12th of December 2027

The raven haired woman smiled down at the baby in her arms, a look of pure pride and adoration in her eyes. The girl's eyes were closed, as she had drifted off into dreamland a few minutes ago. The woman couldn't believe how much she had missed watching a scene like this. A peacefully sleeping child. Her child. And his, which probably meant she wouldn't stay peaceful for too long.

It had been merely a few months, 82 days altogether, since the very first time she held the girl in her arms. It was the third time she went through that same procedure, and yet every time it was different.

The first time around, they welcomed /him/ into this world. Their first child, who would turn into such a bright young man one day. She remembered how euphoria overcame her, and with it came the fear. Fear that she couldn't be a good mother. Fear that she would disappoint them. Fear that she might have to leave them, like her mother left her all these years ago. But despite all these worries, for once in her life she was too happy to care about how the tears rolling down her cheeks might make her look. She was a strong woman, they all knew that. She rarely let herself cry, especially when she wasn't alone. Or at least alone with him. But in that moment, all she could think about was them. Her husband and their son, the future they were building on top of everything they went through together.

The second time, three years later, he got his first younger sister. He was a winter child, she was born in summer. Their mother would have denied it until the day the whole world faced death, but she had always wanted a son and a daughter. Despite a lot of distance and secrets between them, the latter mainly on her part, she always had a strong bond to her brothers and her father. She wanted a sister for her son, and she was glad that her daughter had a brother already. "You might not always get along," she had told the girl a few hours into her young life, "but I know you'll be able to count on each other. He'll do everything to keep you save, even when you won't need it."

Eight years passed by since then.

The eleven year old boy was starting to resemble his father in more ways than one. He took an interest in science, which wasn't all that surprising. Even though his mother did wonder how her son managed to become so much like the people all around him, while she really wasn't. She was intelligent, yes. But not in the way most people in their town were. He wasn't a shy kid, but usually he was more interested in objects than people. His father's work, and former felonies, seemed to be magnetic to him. It wasn't like he intentionally got into trouble all the time, he just wanted to try things out. Last year he had somehow managed to hack into top secret GD files, including some of his father's research in the infamous Section 5. His mother had tried to lecture him, but it wasn't exactly helpful that her husband seemed to be more proud than mad at his son. She ended up lecturing the man instead of the boy, even though, if you asked her, the child was acting more maturely than his father.

The boy's eight year old sister was a spirited child. She jumped up and down when she was found at a loss of patience, she couldn't keep her feet still for longer than a few seconds at a time, and no matter in what mood she was, she would always be drumming a random rhythm on tables, chairs, counters and basically everything that, according to her, had a good resonance. If her parents didn't know it any better, they could swear that she must've swallowed five cups of coffee every morning. But if her mother was being honest with herself, she couldn't possibly be more proud of her daughter. She loved music, whether she was singing, learning an instrument, dancing or just listening to it. She was still young, but already had an impressive voice. She owned a keyboard, a guitar and a drum set. And once again, her age considered, she picked up the most complex things they attempted to teach her pretty quickly. Of course, her mother was the most fond of her passion for dancing. When the girl moved to the music, it brought memories back to the surface that had been buried in the woman's mind for decades. But if there was one thing about her daughter that she was even more proud of, it was her attitude. Granted, sometimes the witty comments and sarcastic remarks that were oh so typical for her husband's blood line drove her absolutely crazy. But the girl was strong. She didn't let her age or gender define her. She didn't change according to someone else's liking. She defined herself.

The four of them were a happy family, if a little chaotic at times. The siblings never became best friends, but deep down they both knew that their mother had been right. They had each other's backs, for the worse or the better. Even though, from her point of view, the girl was more of a protection to her older brother than the other way around. And she definitely wasn't afraid to say that aloud. It usually earned a knowing smile from their father, a proudly agreeing nod from their mother and a rather forced glare from her brother. He would never admit defeat against her, but he couldn't deny that he thought a lot more highly of her than he cared to mention.

Almost a year before, the mother of two earned a series of wide eyed looks with fallen agape mouths when she broke the news to them. The two would turn into a three, after eight years. While the woman's first two pregnancies were as well planned as somehow possible, this one came as a surprise to everyone. Including her husband, and herself. Everything about this child seemed to be different, even before it was born. While the father did his best to find a solution for the upcoming situation, for example five of them living in a house with three bedrooms, and prepare the family and the building for the new offspring, his wife was dealing with a lot more than she expected.

While her first two pregnancies went by as smoothly as they somehow could, she found herself asleep and feeling sick during most of the third. For eight months, she was plagued by worries and fears again. She panicked, thinking that her current state of being might somehow affect her child later on. Her doctor, and close friend, told her she should calm down and try to relax, things would be alright. But that was easier said than done. While there were a few not too unreasonable explanations, like simple stress or the fact that it had been a long time since the last time she carried a baby, the soon to be mother of three had a feeling it wasn't that simple. She couldn't explain it to herself either, but there was just something... different.

Eventually, her second daughter was born. Even though both of them, mother and child, were alive and healthy, she got a dramatic start into life. It had been a stormy night in Eureka, and almost everything that somehow could go wrong really did go wrong. There were several malfunctions and failed experiments, and the whole building was like charged. Leaning against a wall, people got an electric shock more often than not. After four hours of chaos, the decision had been made to evacuate the building. And just then, because there couldn't have been a better moment, the contractions started. While most people rushed outside and went home, a small group of people ran to the medical bay. The woman had asked her friends to bring her kids home, but they refused to leave altogether.

It took almost as long as both previous labors, her brother's and sister's, together. But by the end of the night, Jo and Zane were proud parents of three kids, Joshua and Claire had a new sibling, Eureka had a new resident and the family welcomed their youngest member: Claudia Donovan.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: KNOCK KNOCK.**

 **Now this update comes unusually early, huh? You may consider this chapter a Christmas present from me. Or just a present for the ones who don't celebrate, like my family.**

 **I know that Claire and Josh probably sound a little lot more grown up than they should, but I tried. Right?**

 **KTF CLM**

24th of December 2028

It was just past 7 pm when the last of Eureka's residents switched on their festive lights. Christmas carols could be heard all around town, mostly sung by high tech houses or holograms. However, the melodic sounds Zane Donovan heard when he entered his home were by far more comforting and familiar. Which suited him just fine, considered that his laboratory at GD almost exploded about two hours ago. Again.

The researcher quietly closed the front door behind himself, smiling as soon as he recognized the voices emanating from the living room. He tried his very best to keep quiet as he made his way to the source of the harmonic noises, hoping he could catch a look of the peaceful image before they noticed him approaching this time around.

Leaning against the wall in the hall, he glanced over his shoulder. And indeed, he spotted Claire on the left side of the sofa. She was singing a Christmas song in almost fluent Spanish on top of her lungs, strumming the strings of the seemingly huge guitar resting on her lap. On the other end of the couch, Jo was sitting crisscross and singing along the lines. Her black hair was falling over her shoulders, framing her face. She looked adoringly at Claudia, who she held sitting upright between her knees. The one year old might not realize much of what was happening around her, but she looked happy.

Zane managed to silently observe the scene for all of twenty seconds, before they were interrupted by steps running down the stairs. The man turned his head, catching sight of his twelve year old son. Joshua had a pair of high tech goggles sitting on top of his messy hair, an early Christmas present. He chuckled when he saw his older younger sister, who was still struggling with the instrument. She was good with music, but she was also still a nine year old kid. She almost completely disappeared behind the guitar, much to her older brother's amusement.

It was obvious that he was about to drop a comment, but their father quickly stepped in between. Jo smiled at her husband, finally looking up from the baby.

"Hey, Rocky Road. I take it you guys stopped the end of the world without me once again?"

Despite her calm and sincere expression, Zane saw sadness in her eyes. And he knew why. There was no question that Jo loved spending time with their children, but she also missed her job every time someone kept her away from it. He remembered how her mood had dropped ten years ago, once she realized that another pregnancy meant that she had to stay at home for another year while the guys got all the action. It was almost like living with her brothers all over again, but in this case her stubbornness was to no avail. She couldn't just risk her life to prove herself again. She had kids and a husband to come home to, and the last thing she wanted was to leave hers the way her mother left them.

And the last thing he wanted was to make her feel useless.

"Yeah, we somehow managed the situation. But if you would've been there, we could've both been home hours ago."

He smiled sincerely, leaning down to leave a kiss on his wife's forehead and earn a grateful smile in return. Of course, she knew what he was doing. But she appreciated it, more than she cared to admit.

Zane lowered his gaze to meet his youngest child's, and Jo could swear that she saw both of their expressions brightening. He carefully took Claudia's tiny hand in his, pressing a cautious kiss onto the soft surface.

"Hey there, Claude."

He took a moment to study the girl's reaction, but then turned to look at his older daughter. He smirked sheepishly, pointing at the guitar. "Sounded good. I bet Vince would let you play at Café Diem. You know, once you're tall enough to carry the guitar on your own."

The girl rolled her eyes at the last part, even though she was still fighting her pride. She looked down at the instrument, not daring to show shyness.

Zane got up and approached his son, giving his very best not to smirk as he nodded towards the goggles.

"Testing the limits of our home lab?"

Joshua merely nodded, already seeing the next part coming. It was the Donovan standard conversation.

"How many laws did we break this time?"

The boy tried to fight the sheepish smirk crossing his lips, but failed.

"Only the laws of physics."

"Josh?"

His father raised an eyebrow, obviously still waiting for further information. But his son simply shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Relax, dad. You know the deal. I'm just working on my school project."

"And?"

"And it's nothing the lab's miniature EM barrier couldn't contain. Don't. Worry."

Zane sighed in defeat. The small version of the town's electromagnetic shield had been a compromise made after several discussions about the rules both father and son ignored every so often. The suggestion had come from Henry, and he quickly had Sheriff Carter and Jo on his side. After all it worked well in his garage. Most of the time.

Joshua continued his way to his original destination, namely the kitchen. The second he walked out of the room, Claire set down her guitar. A flash of curiosity appeared in her brown eyes before she turned to face their mother.

"Mom, do we still have gingerbread in the kitchen?"

"Sure. I left it on the counter. But please, don't eat all of them."

"C'mon. Do I look like Uncle Jack?"

The girl's rhetorical question once again had her mother in between smirking and glaring, but she was out of the room before the woman had a chance to decide.

Once she had caught up with her older brother, Claire almost immediately received a side glare though.

"What do you want, Claire?"

"Gingerbread," She replied innocently, smiling overly sweetly. The girl climbed onto the counter just beside the plate she spotted from afar, snatching some of the pastries. But then she crossed her ankles, and a devious shimmer appeared in her eyes. "Also, I highly recommend you tell me what you're actually working on."

"No." His sister had barely finished her sentence when he cut her off. Of course, he knew this was coming. But that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Oh, I think yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Claire, quit it. I won't tell you."

"Why?"

"Why should I tell you?"

As soon as Joshua sat down on a chair and set his cup of Vincent's homemade cacao on the table, Claire jumped off the counter and approached him again. While he was visibly getting annoyed and frustrated, she only seemed to get more determined now that they saw eye to eye.

"Because I want in on your little secret, or else."

"Or else?"

The girl smirked knowingly, since she knew she had the upper hand now. And if he was being honest with himself, he knew that too.

"We both know that I'll figure this out either way. And then, I'm going to tell mom and dad." She paused for a moment, thinking about what she just said. And how conversations like that usually ended in this house. "Or just mom."

Joshua was about to say that she would never do that, but nine years of growing up with her taught him otherwise. In general, she was loyal to her friends and family. But when she had her mind set on a goal, he wouldn't dare to doubt that she would walk over dead bodies on her way. She definitely got that from their mother.

Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring straight into her older brother's eyes. He swallowed silently, obviously still searching for a way out. But he couldn't find one. Eventually, he sighed in defeat.

"How do I know you won't sell me to the wolves either way?"

"You don't."

She shrugged sheepishly, smirking as if she was ten feet tall. For such a small girl, she sure as hell knew how to make taller people feel like ants underneath the lens. But he gathered up his guts, looking at her with a seriousness she would usually tease him for.

"Clary, I'm serious. If I tell you, you have to keep quiet for once."

His sister studied him, curiosity growing. And maybe she was even, only a little bit, concerned.

"Why do I get a feeling that we're dealing with something that could get you kicked out of the country?"

"Well, if by 'kicked out' you mean that I might have to move to another state and get a new identity, you might be right."

For about a minute, silence took over the kitchen. Neither of the siblings said anything. It was like they both disappeared in their thoughts. Joshua just hoped that he hadn't told her too much, that she would decide to support him in this. Meanwhile, Claire's mind was running wild. What could he possibly have gotten himself into? It wasn't like her twelve year old brother was cold enough to risk so much for nothing.

"I'm in."

Even though his sister's voice sounded uncharacteristically small, it was still loud and determined enough for Josh to understand it. And still, he had a little trouble believing what she said.

"You do realize I didn't even tell you what you're signing up for, right?"

Claire rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath in. He knew what that meant. She was about to start talking touchy feely, and they both knew how much she hated that.

"Alright, Josh. Listen up, because I'll only say this once. You're my brother. We're family. And that's pretty much the only thing in the world that means more to me than music. So if you're willing to risk so much for this, I've got your back."

He raised an eyebrow, but the smirk was returning to his lips. "I'd rather you'd stand beside me. I don't want to end up being shoved down the stairs."

The siblings shared one of their rare sincere smiles, hidden behind mocking smirks and glares. She hesitated for a few seconds, eventually deciding to hold out her hand towards him. Looking down at the formation of her fingers, Joshua raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Pinky Promise? Seriously, Clary?"

She nodded firmly, dropping her gaze and raising her hand a little more to clarify the situation. "Dead serious."

He stared at her, but quickly decided to cut this short and give in. She grinned triumphantly, shrugging unapologetically.

"Well, mom and dad always wanted us to work together. Didn't they?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: KNOCK, KNOCK.**

 **I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT I'D ALREADY POSTED THIS CHAPTER! Like, months ago! Hell, I'm so sorry. I mean, I guess this isn't really a good enough excuse, because if I'd tried updating stuff again before now, I would've noticed. But… Damn, I've gotta sort my thoughts. Again, not sure how many of you care at all, but I'm really sorry. Sincerely.**

 **So, after that mess, this is brought to you in the middle of the night by a very chaotic mind, which was hopefully a little clearer when I wrote this chapter.**

 **KTF CLM**

24th of June 2029

The sun was rising above Eureka, but Claire's eyes had been wide open for almost an hour. It was her tenth birthday, and she had been impatiently waiting for this day all week. After all, she finally got to see her father's laboratory live and in action. It wasn't exactly allowed, but that just belonged to the perks of knowing the boss. The girl had been so jealous of her brother three years ago, when he got the tour. But that was one of the many deals Zane made with his kids. On their tenth birthdays, and not a day before then.

Over the past few months, Joshua and Claire had been bonding over their shared project. Granted, at first she had thought he was going crazy when he attempted to explain to her what he was trying to do. A twelve year old boy who talked about traveling through time and space like he was obviously expecting to successfully master it before his freaking eighteenth birthday. But, even though she still thought it was absolutely insane, he somehow managed to make it sound possible. And for an adventurous spirit like Claire, that had been enough. Especially once he showed her what he found out. Their mother, Uncle Jack, Aunt Ally, Uncle Henry and Fargo had actually traveled through time. Again, it sounded damn unbelievable. But they were Eureka kids. Not just that: They were Donovans.

So, the girl let her brother go on with his experiments. She tried to help him somehow, but she simply didn't understand as much of this as he did. She was into music, and their parents had started teaching her about kickboxing and general fighting styles. (Of course, not before months of begging from the headstrong girl.) Zane and Jo were raising a badass musician and a smartass scientist, and they all knew which was which.

Claire could only speculate about who Claudia would become when she grew up.

Once she was dressed, she turned herself in front of her full length mirror. She was wearing her favorite pair of dark blue skinny jeans. They looked a little worn out already, but she felt the most comfortable in them. Her crimson red shirt's sleeves stopped halfway down her arms, and there were black notes and clefs all over the fabric. Claire had purposefully cut and ripped a few holes into the sleeves. Jo hadn't been too thrilled, but she said it was okay as long as only the arms would be exposed. The girl had already planned to wear her favorite red converse high tops on this day, ever since she got them two months prior. Like her shirt, they carried a dark pattern of musical symbols. They had actually been a gift from their oldest 'cousin', Zoe.

Claire turned around to face the closet, pulling out the coat hanger that carried most of her favorite necklaces and bracelets. She basically took everything she could find that was either black or red, put it on and threw the closet's door shut again. Then she snatched a black ring with an almost glowing red gemstone off the desk and added it to the assembly before she rushed out of the room.

Her first stop was her parents' bedroom. When she was younger, she used to wake them up the second she realized that it was her birthday. Or Christmas. Or Easter. Or Mother's Day. Or Father's Day. Or Feynman Day. Damn, did they love Feynman Day. Joshua and Claire, Zane and… Well, for some reason, Jo didn't.

But on this day, Claire knew that her parents would be up and out already. Zane said yesterday that he still had to fix and finish some things in the lab before noon, and Jo should be back any minute with breakfast. Usually, the family wasn't that lazy. But on special occasions, they let Vince cook for them. He basically begged for it, anyways.

The girl stepped into the room and headed straight to the closet again. It didn't take her long to find what she had been searching for: Her father's old black leather jacket. Claire sunk her teeth into her lower lip, smiling triumphantly. She had always loved this jacket. It made her feel badass, and somehow… save. She had been wearing it on every birthday she could remember, and she loved how it got less and less too big every year. Of course, she would never quite grow into it. But still.

Suddenly, Claire heard the front door open and close. She automatically took a deep breath in, enjoying the harmonic scent of Café Diem's breakfast pastries. She adored the mixture of freshly baked buns, scrambled eggs and strawberries. Vincent always came around the corner with new creations, and he knew how much she loved the sweet fruits.

The girl failed to swallow a squeal, almost stumbling on her way down the stairs. She had to put on the brakes when she entered the kitchen, earning an amused look from her mother.

"Seems like someone's looking forward to breakfast."

Claire's gaze dropped to the floor for a second before she caught herself again, shrugging sheepishly.

"Well, yeah. I could smell it upstairs, in your r-…"

She cut herself off shortly before she finished her sentence, setting on her innocent face. Jo only chuckled at that, shaking her head.

"Calm down. What do you think I believe how that jacket keeps returning and leaving our room?"

The child bit her lower lip again, driving a hand through her messy hair. She pulled the black leather closer around her upper body, smiling apologetically.

"Of course, when you say it that way…"

The woman moved to a simple rhythm, effectively keeping the toddler settled on her hip happy. She slowly approached her daughter, carefully fixing the collar of the jacket around Claire's neck.

"It suits you, you know?"

"And it still looks adorable."

The source of the latter sentence was quickly found when the girl turned around to face Zane. Her face brightened immediately, and she pretty much attacked him. He raised her from the floor, so she could wrap her slender arms around her father's neck.

"Dad! You're home!"

The scientist turned around his own pivot, before he cautiously set his daughter down.

"And I will be, until we're ready for your tour."

"Today, at 5 pm. Right?"

"I promised, didn't I?" He got down onto one knee, placing his hands on her small shoulders. Claire grimaced jokingly when he pressed his lips to her forehead, but she was still grinning brightly. "Happy Birthday, Clary."

The girl's smile was replaced by curiosity when she heard a surprised sound behind her. She turned around, quickly defining the noise's source as her little sister. Their mother was trying to carry a bag of food, plates, two cups and her youngest child all at once. It looked like that wasn't her best idea, since she obviously just ran into the table. Claudia wasn't particularly amused.

Claire heard her father wincing sympathetically behind her. She was at Jo's side first, doing her very best to carefully take the almost-two-year-old from her mother. She was a few heads smaller than the woman, so she had to put up with a bit of a struggle on her way to Claudia's highchair. The child stepped onto the specially added tread leading up to the seat, to safely bring her younger sister to her destination. Once Claudia was seated, Claire drove a hand through the baby's short hair and kissed her forehead. She had taken over her father's habit a few months ago.

Zane had been right next to his wife only split seconds after his daughter. He snatched the plates and cups from her and started setting the table. Jo chuckled gratefully at the gestures. She was about to approach the stairs, but Claire stepped in her way.

"You two get breakfast ready. I'll go get Josh."

Her mother didn't have the time to react at all, before the ten year old turned around and bolted up the stairs. She was just about to knock on her brother's door when a thought crossed her mind. It was pretty much confirmed when she noticed that the entrance to his room was already open. She kicked it further, sighing quietly. It was 8 am on a Sunday, and Joshua's bed was empty. That could only mean one thing.

Claire walked further down the hall, hesitating for a moment before she slowly opened the door to their home laboratory. Of course, Joshua was standing by the desk. She knew it.

"Josh?"

"Not now."

The girl approached him step by step, her gaze drifting over the papers laying all over the desk. She couldn't recognize any order, and she was pretty sure she didn't even know half of the words. And she went to Tesla High, too.

"Joshua, how long have you been working on this?"

"A few months. You know that."

Now Claire was getting frustrated. She was looking straight at him, but Joshua still hadn't loosened his focus on that damn project.

"Josh, I'm serious."

"So am I. Please, Claire. I'm working on a theory. I just want to get far enough today, so that I can spend time with you guys tomorrow and get right to testing it when I get back from school on Monday."

"Mon-… Hold on." Her eyes widened when realization dawned to her. "You seriously think it's still Saturday, don't you?"

That at least seemed to have caught his attention. He turned to look at her, confusion written all over his face.

"It's not?"

"Dang it, Joshua!" Slowly but surely, Claire was losing her patience. "It's Sunday. It. Is. My. Tenth. Birthday."

An apologetic look crossed his face. "Clary… Listen, I'm sure I'll have this done by the time we're supposed to head out for your tour at GD. I told you I would be there, remember?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, sending him a rather dark glare. "You did. Now, would you care to remind me when that is?"

"6 pm?"

"5, Josh. 5 pm. That's in nine hours."

"See? I can totally do that."

The girl rolled her eyes, obviously unhappy with his attempt to make the situation seem less like a Game of Blame.

"No. Josh, we're kids. We're supposed to spend our weekends having fun."

"Science is fun."

"Missing. The. Point. I won't let you work for even just one more minute today. It's my birthday, and this is my wish. I'm spending today with my family."

Joshua studied his sister's expression. He easily recognized that look. It was the look he and their father received every time they annoyed their mother. That never ended well.

"I'm really-"

"Let me guess. You're really in the middle of something? You always are, Josh." Her features softened, concern showing clearly. "I just think this can't be healthy. You're turning into a premature workaholic."

Sometimes Joshua forgot that he wasn't the only one in the family who was acting way beyond his own age. Claire was very grown up for a ten year old. She wasn't as much into science as he was, but he still had no doubt that she could easily outsmart as good as anyone outside of Eureka.

"I just... I just want to do this right. Henry said if I keep working the way I do now, I could easily go to MIT or CalTech as early as age sixteen or seventeen. But for that, I need to show ambitions."

The admission had left his lips sounding rather shy, and sighed. No one in this family liked talking about their feelings, so how was it possible that she out of all people kept finding herself in situations like this?

"Ambitions? Josh, we live in the smartest town on the planet. And even here, everyone knows that you're one of the best. You still have at least three years to prove yourself. And then, you'll still have all those freaking elite colleges begging on their knees for you."

He looked at her, and even though she could still see uncertainty in his eyes, there was a shimmer of hope. Which meant for her that she had won already once again.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

They stayed quiet for a few seconds, feeding off the reassurance or calmness they got out of their conversation.

Eventually, Joshua was the one to break the silence with a sheepish smirk on my lips.

"Alright, then. What about that birthday breakfast of yours?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: KNOCK KNOCK.**

 **I wrote this thing a while ago, but totally forgot it was ready to be posted. It's not my best work, but it's decent enough in my opinion (Drama, yay!) and it's an update. This is the third week in a row that I'm posting something here. Can you imagine how proud I am? Because I'm really, ridiculously proud.**

 **KTF CLM**

Friday, the 27th of September 2030

It was the week after Claudia's third birthday, and Joshua was on his way home from school. His gaze was locked to the screen of his notepad, or maybe rather the numbers, words and shapes drawn on it. To most people, they looked like pure chaos. It was confusing, but the boy knew exactly what he was looking at.

What he didn't know, was how he was supposed to get out of the mental dead end he found himself trapped in. He somehow managed to figure out most of the theory, but it was like there was something missing. Something the experiment stubbornly refused to work without.

The thirteen year old bit his tongue, visibly frustrated. If he wouldn't have known every inch of the way from Tesla High to his family's house, he would've probably tripped or walked into a tree, and broken his nose.

Eventually he approached the building, the one Jo finally managed to get done with her self-designed shooting range and Zane's home laboratory. Looking up from the screen for the first time in minutes, Joshua hesitated. The sheriff's Jeep was parked in the driveway. That couldn't be good. Of course, sometimes their 'Uncle Jack' would simply visit, sometimes with Allison and the kids. But somehow, the boy doubted that this was a meeting over coffee and cake.

He took a deep breath in, more or less forcing himself to move his feet forward and walk inside. Once he was in the hall, his steps automatically slowed down. Joshua listened closely, and heard voices coming from the living room area. First Carter's, then his mother's. It seemed like they were still waiting for him before the serious part would begin, because he could also hear Claire throwing in random questions.

Joshua cautiously stepped into the doorway, hesitantly clearing his throat. He just wanted to get this done, so he could go back to work. Even though that was also a worry of his. What if the sheriff was here because of his favorite project? But how should he know? By then, Joshua trusted Claire blindly. They still weren't best friends, but they got along and had each other's backs. And she was the only one he talked to about this.

All three of them turned their heads to look at him, but for a few seconds nobody said anything. Taking a closer look, Joshua noticed just how tense they were. Claire seemed to try to hold her breath, Jo seemed downright nervous and Jack was sending him an apologetic smile.

"Josh, hey. Damn, you remind me more of Zane every day. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing."

The sheriff raised from his seat on the sofa to offer a hand to the boy, still with that obviously forced grin glued to his face. The kids all liked him, but in that moment Joshua felt like he was going to be sick.

He politely accepted the greeting, showing off a tightlipped smile of his own.

"Well, considering you're here in full business attire, I guess it's not so good today."

Josh rolled his lips in, stepping back again. His sister moved closer to their mother, effectively making space for him to sit down. As far away from the sheriff's seat as possible. The boy sent Claire a grateful smile, taking his place beside her. When he talked to her, he kept his voice at a low whisper that was barely loud enough for her to understand.

"Speaking of the devil, where's dad?"

The girl replied just as quietly, pulling her feet onto the seat.

"Upstairs, with Dia."

She didn't have to say anything else, he got the message. The grownups didn't want the three year old to be in the room for this conversation. Which only confirmed what Joshua had been afraid of. This was serious.

On one hand, he really wanted to ask what the frak was going on. But on the other hand, he was pretty sure that he didn't even want to hear it.

But of course, Jack had to take that decision away from him.

"Josh…" He paused, his gaze drifting towards the boy's younger sister. "Claire, would you mind…"

"I'm staying."

"Claire…" Jo started her sentence, but never got to finish it.

"No." The girl gritted her teeth, trying to stay calm. "Mom, please. I want to stay."

Her brother nervously cleared his throat, shrugging to seem nonchalant. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind it if she stayed."

Jo could easily take a look between the lines. She knew that Jack wouldn't like it, but her children wouldn't leave each other's sides any time soon. And if someone asked her, the woman would admit without hesitation that she was proud of them.

The sheriff turned to look at his former deputy, a questioning expression on his face. He was silently asking her if she thought there was any sense in trying to ask the girl to leave, but Jo merely shrugged.

"You heard her. She's staying."

The man sighed, raising his hands to clarify that he surrendered. After all, he had known from the very beginning that Donovan and Lupo genes would be a dangerous combination. He already couldn't keep either of their parents in check, and he knew nobody who could, so he most likely wouldn't be surprised if their offspring took over the world.

"Okay. So, you probably all guessed by now that I'm not bringing good news."

"Yeah, well I don't know about you guys. But I've never opened the door for a cop who just wanted to hand over a basket full of puppies."

Claire's interruption earned her two glares and a slight smile from beside her.

"You know, dad told you a thousand times what he thinks about pets."

"And I told him a million times that I want a real dog, not a robot."

"There's a huge difference between robotic and bionic, Clary."

"They're still not real!"

Jo's eyes jumped in between her kids. She knew this discussion all too well already. One time, they somehow managed to come up with more and more reasons why they were right and the other was wrong for over an hour.

"Hey! Focus ahead."

They both turned to look at their mother again, swallowing silently. While they sunk back into their seats, Jack decided to finally get this over with before they came up with something else to discuss. After all, none of them wanted to see Jo exploding.

"Guys, I'm here as part of an investigation. We're looking for a thief."

Before Joshua could even begin to defend himself, his sister spoke up again. She sat crisscross, leaning her head onto her fists.

"So? What did they steal? And what does this have to do with us?"

"That sort of ends up in the same sea." The sheriff earned a group of questioning glances. He hesitated for a moment, looking straight at Joshua. "Someone took some… end of the world thingy, from a laboratory in Section 5."

Jo shifted in her seat. She didn't believe that Joshua was guilty, but that was exactly why she felt so uncomfortable letting Carter ask in first place.

Meanwhile, the gears in her son's head were turning. Despite sitting at the very end of the sofa, he was starting to feel trapped.

"And you're here because I was there to help our father out a few days ago."

It was a statement, not a question, but Carter nodded anyways.

"Yeah. Around the time it happened only one of those… electronic key cards logged into that lab. And that was Zane's. But he has an alibi."

The whole room seemed to tense. They could all hear the question in between the lines, long before the sheriff dared to say it aloud.

"Josh, did you have anything to do with this?"

Nobody said anything at first. They all dealt with a thousand thoughts each second, running rounds and rounds in their minds. Jo had convinced herself of her son's innocence. The crime wasn't even all that severe, since it didn't hurt anyone (yet). It only pissed off some already mad scientists. But it just didn't sound like Joshua. Claire, on the other hand, wasn't so sure anymore. If he really stole something, she knew for what. It was that damn project of his. His obsession. She kept telling him to take a break, but he just wouldn't listen.

That was when Jo broke out. She jumped onto her feet, sending her former boss a dark glare.

"This is absolutely ridiculous, Carter!"

"Jo, I'm merely following the proto-"

"I don't care about your goddamn protocol! It's my son you're talking about. I told you he's innocent."

Jack seemed to be out of words. In the end, it was Joshua who tried to interrupt his mother's rant somehow.

"Mom, I'm-"

"I can't believe you're even here!"

"Could you please just-"

"I thought you trusted my judgement!"

When Jo just kept on yelling at the sheriff, Joshua took a deep breath in. He raised his voice to the highest volume he could reach, jumping off the couch.

"He's right, okay?"

While Jo and Jack seemed to freeze, Claire winced quietly. They hadn't seen this coming, but she had been afraid he would say something like that.

Carter stayed silent. He felt like this should firstly be cleared within the rows of the family.

Claire was mentally weighing her options.

Jo just didn't know how to react.

Nobody said anything, and that drove Joshua crazy.

"Mom, I… I just reached a dead end with one of my projects. I heard about another project, and I thought it might help me. I needed those parts, okay. I just… Please say something."

She swallowed silently, barely returning from her shell shock state of mind.

"What is it? What are you working on, that could possibly justify stealing something that might kill you, or others?"

"I…" Joshua hesitated, studying the floor. After a few seconds, he just shook his head. "I can't tell you."

"Joshua…"

Before Jo could even just choose another word to say, her son stormed out of the room and up the stairs. They could hear how he threw the door shut behind him, and that was the second Claire's choice fell.

She saw her mother stepping forward and towards the stairs out of her eye's corner, and quickly reached out to catch her arm.

"Mom… wait." The girl turner her head to face the sheriff, sending him an almost begging look. "Uncle Jack, could you… maybe talk to Aunt Ally and Uncle Henry? Set damage control into motion? Please."

He would be lying if he said that her sincere request didn't surprise him. She was so quiet, so doubtful. So unlike herself. After a few seconds, he made up his mind. He nodded slowly, and got up to leave.

That was when Zane came down the stairs. He looked at their faces, and he could read them like a book. He drove his hand through his hair, slowly approaching them.

"So he…"

Jo nodded. She had switched into automatic mode again the second her son left the room.

"Claudia?"

"In her room."

That was the moment Claire forced herself to stand up and face the situation. She took a deep breath in, switching between looking at her mother and father. Neither of them quite met her gaze though. Not until Zane noticed how she stood there. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. One of her hands was drawing small circles on her other arm, while the other kept reaching for her hair. She was constantly shifting on her feet, and she was chewing on her lower lip. He knew that image inside out.

His last doubts were washed away when he tried to look into her eyes. She had been trying to get him to do just that before, and now she suddenly seemed to have trouble deciding what was more interesting: the floor or the ceiling.

"Claire? What's going on?"

The girl swallowed. Now she had her parents' attention. It was time to talk, before things could get any worse than they already were.

"Actually, I'm glad you're both here."

Claire tried to force a smile, but she had never been a friend of pretenders. She uncrossed her arms, folding her fingers instead. It was yet another automatic habit of hers, when she couldn't find the words she desperately needed in a situation like this.

"Mom, dad. There's something I need to tell you."


End file.
